State Rep. Lori Ehrlich discussed ideas around international trade and engagement with Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations secretary general, during Ban's recent visit to the State House.

The Marblehead Democrat hosted the South Korean diplomat Wednesday, June 7 as House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Export Development, a committee charged with developing partnerships between Massachusetts and other nations and promoting the state as a global economic leader.

“I am honored to visit the Massachusetts State House at the invitation of Speaker (Robert) DeLeo, Representative Ehrlich and Senator (Eileen) Donoghue (D-Lowell) and to learn of the many issues that state legislators are working on in the interest of the citizens of the Commonwealth,” Ban said.

Ehrlich told the State House News Service that Ban met with DeLeo, in the morning and attended a luncheon with the export committee, which Senate President Stan Rosenberg visited.

“It is an immense honor for the export committee to welcome His Excellency Ban Ki-moon to the State House as we begin our work,” said Ehrlich. “The former secretary general’s advocacy for openness in an increasingly fractured world is firmly in line with our own values as a commonwealth that seeks to build bridges, not walls.”

Ban served as secretary general of the United Nations from 2007-2016. His tenure as the 8th secretary general included passing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, advancing the Millennium Development Goals and building diverse coalitions to address global challenges. According to Ehrlich he has local roots as well having graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School with a Master’s in Public Administration in 1985 and currently serving as Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Ban’s visit came a week after President Donald Trump decided to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, which he said "disadvantages the United States.”

At the State House, Ban characterized Trump’s withdrawal decision as "misguiding and misleading.”

"I sincerely hope that the U.S. will return to the climate change process," Ban told the News Service. "This is not an issue of Republican or Democratic. Having read what he said is misguiding and misleading the truthful effects, so U.S. should be part of this."

Ban clarified he was referring to Trump. The former foreign minister to South Korea said action must be taken to address the changing climate, which experts warn will lead to sea-level rise and changes in weather patterns affecting agriculture.

"Nature does not wait for us. Nature does not negotiate with us," Ban said. "We have to think about how we can make sure that our succeeding generations can live harmonious with our nature."

Ban said while the United States accounts for "14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions," which contribute to global warming, the nation has a "much much bigger" role in global leadership.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday announced that Massachusetts would join a coalition of states committed to fulfilling the tenets of the Paris climate agreement, a move Ban praised the governor for in a meeting Wednesday, according to one attendee.

During his visit, Ban posed for photos in front of an iconic statue to former President John Kennedy on the State House grounds. He toured around the state capitol building with Ehrlich, who, in fact, set up Ban’s visit after they crossed paths during an event at the Kennedy School of Government celebrating what would have been JFK's 100th birthday. Despite his Boston ties, Ban had never been to the State House until last week, said Ehrlich.

Just about everyone who spoke with Ban asked his thoughts on the Trump administration, according to Ehrlich. She said, "I think people are very concerned for the nation and our place in the world."

State House News Service reporting and writing was used in this report.